Cop, 1 other nabbed for suspected extortion in North Cotabato town

KIDAPAWAN CITY—Police authorities in Midsayap, North Cotabato arrested one of their own and another man for alleged extortion activities during an entrapment operation on Wednesday.

Insp. Edwin Abantes, Midsayap deputy police chief, identified the suspects as P01 Howell Dequita, a member of the Maritime 12 police assigned in General Santos City, and Omar Solidad, a bus company employee.

According to Abantes, the two suspects, who were residents of Barangay (village) Rebuken in Sultan Kudarat town in Maguindanao, were arrested while receiving money from the complainants inside a branch of the Philippine National Bank (PNB) in Midsayap.

Based on the complaint, the suspects had been forcing the two businesswomen-complainants, whose identities were being withheld, into giving money in the guise of protecting their buy-and-sell business.

After tipping off the police, the complainants pretended to accede to the suspects’ demand and asked them that the pay-off be made inside a PNB branch.

Supt. Bernard Tayong, spokesperson of the North Cotabato police office, said seized from the suspects during the entrapment operation were several live ammunition for .45 caliber pistol and a fragmentation grenade.

Tayong said that Dequita and Solidad were being temporarily detained at the Midsayap police lockup cell while charges were being prepared against them. RAM

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